Passport & Visa

PassportsPassport valid for at least
six months required by all nationals referred
to in the chart above.

Visas
Not required by nationals
referred to in the chart above for stays of
up to 180 days except the following:
a) 1. nationals of Bulgaria,
Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Slovenia.

Note: Nationals not referred
to in the chart above are advised to contact
the embassy to check visa requirements.Nationals
will be issued with an entry stamp on arrival
which will be valid for up to 90 days (nationals
are often only given 30 or 60 days); extensions
for up to a further 120 days are available from
the Department of Administration and Security
in Colombia; all nationals are permitted to stay
for a maximum of 180 days in any 12-month period.

ValidityTourist and Temporary Visitor: Valid six
months (multiple entry). Business: Valid
four years for multiple entries with maximum stays
of six months each. Student: Valid five
years with multiple entry.

Applications to:Consulate
(or consular section at embassy).

Working Days RequiredDepends on
the visa issued. Five for Tourist and Business
visas; one week for Temporary Visitors Visas.
It is generally advised to allow plenty of time
for applications.

Departure TaxTransit passengers are exempt. Passengers who have stayed in Colombia for more than two months must pay an adiitional US$ 19.

Getting There by Water

Main
ports:Cartagena, Barranquilla,
Santa Marta and Turnaco
(Caribbean coast) and Buenaventura
(Pacific coast). Many ships and
cruise lines visit these ports
from the USA, Mexico, Venezuela, Central America
and the Caribbean Islands.
Leticia is the upper Amazonian port,
from where boats travel into Brazil and Peru.

Getting There by Rail

There are
no international rail connections.

Getting There by Road

Colombia can not be reached
from Panama by road, only by boat. There
are road links with Ecuador and Venezuela.

If you are planning to go to Panama from Colombia,
there are a few option:
Fly... easy option and can
be quite cheap if you book early.
Aires
is by far the cheapest airline on this strech,
so check out their website for more details.
Float... that is to say, if
there is no wind... There are tonnes of sail
boats crossing from Cartagena to the Panama
coast, for example to San Blas or Portobello.
Ask at your hostel in Cartagena and they will
know who to contact. All boats charge the same
($375 per person for a 5 day trip, including
stopover in San Blas islands, and including
meals and drinks (non-alcoholic))

Cycling & Maps

Cycling in Colombia Colombian roads vary greatly, but one
thing you can be sure of is plenty of undulating
cycling practice. In 2009, the Pan American Highway
from Cartagena to Sincelejo and from Popayán
through to the Ecuadorian border was in pretty
poor state. In between these regions it wavered
between immaculate with massive shoulder to mediocre. In and around cities and townships
the road tends to disintegrate in condition and
drivers attitudes less courteous. Beware of bus
and taxi drivers pulling in front of you. If you
can plan to enter or leave major cities on a Sunday,
your mental health will be all the better for
it.

Out on the highway, a shoulder
is not always present but since there is a strong
cycling culture in Colombia, traffic is more often
than not, respectful of your space. You'll get
plenty of welcoming toots and thumbs up from professional
drivers with the odd exception from the impatient
tour bus. On smaller, windy mountain paths however,
any urgent honk will mean "get out of
the way quick, I'm coming through".
And be well assured, they will too!

Military check points are widespread
throughout the entire country, though the police
will rarely stop cyclists. If they do, it is generally
more out of curiosity than anything else. The
questioning usually goes along the lines of: "where
have you come from?" and "where
are you going to?" Ask them how far
it is to your destination and you'll get everyone
in on a lengthy debate. Stands to reason since
road signage can be contradictory in Colombia.
As a rule, the white kilometre markers are the
most reliable, though you are never quite sure
if the distance is a maeasurement to the outskirts
of, the centre of or the turnoff to the town.

Street names are also infrequently
displayed, which can make travelling through the
larger cities a bit of a nightmare, if you don't
know exactly where you are going. Nearly all of
them are structured on a numbered grid system
with the Calles running in one direction
and the Carreras perpendicular.

The Mapas de Ruta,
a bundle of 12 Colombian highway routes, obtainable
from the Geographical Institute Agustin Codazzi
in (among others) Cartagena, are about the best
maps you'll find (see above for details). If you
do decide to get off the beaten track and tackle
the unpaved roads then expect all types of surfacing
including rock quarry status. The Andes mountain
range runs north-south in Colombia and has many
high altitude passes. It is not uncommon to rise
above 4000 metres, so it pays to take along some
warm weather gear along with you. While the going
is considerably tough in the out of the way places,
the magnificent scenery and quiet roads are worth
every single push of the pedal.

Some national parks and recreational
areas have camp areas for approximately 10,000
COP per person. Difficult to find wild camping
spots.

internet

1,000-2,000 per hour

*
tba = price to be announced* June 2009: at time of writing 1.00 USD =
2,155 COP
all prices have been taken from internet
resources such as wikitravel, hostel world, leading
supermarket chains, travel blogs, forums and of
course our own travel experiences and purchases
of everyday products in food markets, bazaars
and local shopping facilities. They are only an
indication and designed to give you a general
impression of the cost of living in Colombia.
Items are geared towards the budget conscious
traveller with an occasional craving for a bit
of luxury.

Bargaining
at markets when buying in bulk is commonly accepted.
You can also try your haggling skills when purchasing
souvenirs or cottage industry food products at
roadside stalls.

*

To give
a tip [propina] is not common practice in Colombia,
except in upmarket hospitality establishments,
where a suggested tip may be added to the bill.

*

Taxi drivers
do not expect tips and price is normally negotiated
before you step in.

*

Watch out
for money changers in Cartagena They are not called
magicians for nothing. The rate they offer will
appear good, but their slight of hand trickery
will undoubtedly leave you short-changed. Their
method is simple: you'll be short-changed initially
and as soon as you complain they will place the
missing amount on top of the pile, while removing
some of the larger notes from underneath. Deal
is this: always count your money each time they
have handled it and don't hand over your foreign
notes until you are satisfied you have your full
compliment of Colombian bills.

*

Apart from
large supermarket chains and a few bakeries, most
businesses shut down on Sunday.

*

Toiletries
are relatively expensive in supermarkets and drogas
[drug stores]. You are more likely to find cheaper
prices in the bargain - dollar discount shops.

Accommodation

Finding accommodation in Colombia
will probably end up being the easiest task in your
travelling day. Every pokey little village on the
highway network has at least one hospedaje or residencias. These places are generally
the more budget option compared with a pension or hotel, though the distinction applies
more in the bigger cities than in the countryside.

Another wonderful blessing for off
the beaten track travellers is the highway petrol station
hotel. In 2009, the price in these establishments ranged
from 11,000 through to 24,000 COP for a double room
with ensuite, fan and cable tv. They are safe, clean
with modern facilities (private bathroom, cable tv)
and much cheaper than heading to the town plaza or bus
station where accommodation is generally pricier. Most
of them are called Hotel La Bomba, after the same petrol
station.

Always check your room first before
paying and unless the hotel advertises agua caliente
[hot water], you can be pretty well assured that
one of the double taps doesn't work. Housing is constructed
of thick cement and brick walls, so beware of choosing
a room without a window: it can get almost unbearable
on a hot balmy night. Mosquitoes and bugs can be a problem
in some areas too and screens on windows are not a common
commodity.

If you are on the lookout for an apartment
it is better to just wander the streets and apply at
any place where a "to let" sign is displayed,
than try the classified section of the newspaper. Choose
your area well and don't be afraid to ask locals for
advice.

Hostel
Trail
is a Latin American hostel network which has a user
friendly website listing many accommodation options
for the budget traveller. Price information on the Hostel
Trail site is not always kept up-to-date therefore it
is wiser to visit the hostel's own website for a true
indication of facilities and fees.

Camping is not a particularly big past
time in Colombia, though there are a handful of official
sites available, mostly in or close to
National
Parks
or well frequented recreation spots. Wild camping is
possible, though a large percentage of the land is owned
and fenced off with barbed wire, which makes it difficult
to find something suitable. Considering the inexpensive
nature of official accommodation, it is not really necessary
to go to the trouble of asking at a local village. They
are bound to point you in the direction of a hospedaje
down the road. Well off the beaten track and in mountain
areas with few available facilities, it would pay to
get permission to pitch your tent near a farmers house
or village.

Acommodation we used while in Colombia
(July 2009): (prices based on two people sharing)

Star system explained: from 0 to *****
where 0 is a total disaster and ***** is luxurious
(and out of our price range)

City / town:

Name accommodation:

Our experience:

Price:

Stars:

El Bordo

Hotel Juancho

mini room, but cheap as chips

COP 12,000

**½

Buga

Hotel Avenida Real

way too expensive for a box

COP 40,000

*½

Cajamarca

Hotel El Nevado

little box, clean though

COP 20,000

**

Cali

Iguana Guesthouse

ok room, use of kitchen, WiFi

COP 38,000

**½

Cano

Hotel Oro Negro

huge petrol station room

COP 17,000

**

Cartagena

Hotel Holiday

friendly and accurate

COP 30,000

***

El Carmen de Bolivar

Hotel Jhosan

clean, friendly, expensive,
aircon

COP 40,000

***

Caucasia

Hotel El Remanso

old, but clean and helpful

COP 20,000

***

El Crucero

Hotel La Estacion

adequate, but basic

COP 19,000

**

Ibagué

Hotel Vaticano

big room, but old amenities

COP 30,000

**

Ipiales

Hotel Pasviveros

beautifull & old & what
a service

COP 26,000

***

Irrá

Hospedaje El Bomba

cheap, cheap, cheap

COP 11,000

**

Lago Calima

Camping Berlin

everything on a slope...

COP 20,000

*½

Manizales

Hotel Camelot

grand room, grand price

COP 40,000

**

Medellín

Hotel Mageba

right in the centre, very friendly

COP 24,000

***½

Murillo

Hotel Posada del Turistica

clean, weird set-up of rooms

COP 16,000

**½

Pasto

Hotel Atenas

good room, city centre

COP 30,000

***

El Pedregal

Hotel Esmeralda

small bed, small price

COP 15,000

**

El Pital

Hospedaje Juliana

adequate petrol station hotel

COP 18,000

**½

Planeta Rica

Hotel Bochico

mediocre, rip-off restaurant

COP 25,000

**

Popayan

Hotel Cacique Real

nice and safe, shared bath

COP 22,000

**

El Remolino

Hotel Oasis

dirty grot box

COP 15,000

*

Sahagun

Hotel Emperador

breath of fresh
air

COP 30,000

***½

S Juan Nepomuceno

Hotel Virgen del
Carmen

electricity? cleaning?
maybe?

COP 20,000

*

Santa Rosa de Osos

Hotel Estacion del Rio

best bet in town; wooden box

COP 24,000

**½

Sincelejo

Hostal Cattleya

basic, loud, open
air, but friendly

COP 22,000

*½

Tarazá

Hotel La Bomba

typical petrol station
hotel

COP 15,000

**½

Valdivia

Hotel La Bomba

basic, but sufficient

COP 15,000

**

Venadillo

Hotel Rest. Venadillo

tiny sweatbox, swimming pool!

COP 17,000

*½

Yarumal

Hotel Balcon del
Paraiso

hot shower, big
room, WiFi

COP 32,000

***½

Food & drink

Though
the Colombian kitchen utilises its fair share
of potatoes, yuca [cassava], platano,
beans, corn and rice it is one with a distinct
preference for meat. Finding vegetarian options
on any local menu, besides asking for the Bandeja
Corrientes (see below for more details),
without the animal elements is difficult. The
non-meat eater looking to dine out will either
have to fall back on the trusty Chinese Restaurant
or Pizzeria: though both will only be available
in larger townships.

Hare-Krishna canteens are also
another option in major cities and
HappyCow
has a list of these as well as other vegetarian
restaurants scattered across Colombia. The unfortunate
trend with these eating establishments is that
they are generally only open for lunch.

There are a couple of bonuses
when coming to Colombia from Central America:
firstly, the availability of vegetable stock cubes
in supermarkets and secondly, the bakery finesse.
However, vegans can start pulling their hair out
now, because literally every bakery product, has
at least one, if not a combination of the main
dairy products.

The two most common bread types
are pandeyuca [cassava bread]: often
baked with cheese; and almojábana:
the corn-flour bread staple of Colombia. And,
if you happen past a panaderia [bakery]
and see freshly baked trays of round balls the
size of a fist, then don't hesitate to try one.
Technically, pandebono [good bread] should
be consumed direct from the oven with a cup of
hot chocolate, so it is maybe worth sitting down
in the adjoining cafe to enjoy this morning treat
in traditional style.

Mantequilla [butter] is also
readily used to cook street snack foods. So, again the
strict vegan is going to have a hard time finding a
suitable meal outside of self catering. Luckily, the
larger supermarkets stock a generous variety of fresh
and packaged products and organic-herbal health shops
are a fast growing industry in Colombia.

Furthermore, the variety of exotic
fruit available is simply staggering. You'll find all
sorts of weird and wonderful tastes and textures and
if you can eat them, then it stands to reason that you
can juice them too. Colombian cities have an abundance
of juice shops serving delicious fresh fruit drinks
all day long. In fact, blended fruit juice is so fashionable,
that every kitchen is not complete without a liquidiser.

Water from the tap in cities and towns
is safe to drink and as a rule, restaurants and eateries
serve bags or bottles of water to their customers. You'll
even see the raspado man using frozen bagged
water for his sweet icy treats. You might want to be
a little wary of street juice vendors in smaller villages,
but those in the city usually prepare their beverage
with purified water. The only areas where you have to
be careful are in the more remote regions, where locals
use water direct from the mountain. Here, you will definitely
need to boil, purify it or purchase bottled water only.

Home-made hot chocolate prepared with
panela (dried sugar cane juice) and typically
flavoured with cinnamon and cloves is often served for
breakfast with arepas or pandebono
bread. And as you would expect from a world player in
coffee export, Colombian "tinto"
is available far and wide: in cafes, restaurants, hotels,
and on every street corner. Coffee plantations are spread
across the Colombian highlands and if you get the chance
to visit or stay at a finca cafetera [coffee
plantation] you may also have the privilege to taste
the farmers own special stash of beans. Adding to their
delightfully unique aroma and taste, this coffee is
hand-picked and traditionally prepared. A treasured
experience you will not come across frequently. As well
as a beverage, coffee is used to make many confectionary
products including nougat, candy, ice-cream and cafe-arequipe
[coffee-caramel spread].

On the alcoholic beverage side, Colombia's
national drink is the fiery anise flavoured spirit derived
from sugarcane: Aguardiente. Every region has
its own variety and trade name, but all over the country
it is commonly served in a shot glass with a generous
squeeze of lime juice. Cerveza [beer] is sold
literally everywhere and anywhere. Though nothing beyond
the average lager, there are several brands to chose
from: Aquila, Pilsen, Poker, Club Colombia and Costeña.

Why not try these
for starters?

Sopa De Aguacate
y Papas [Avocado Vichyssoise]
A basic but appetising soup of creamy potatoes,
leeks, avocado and coriander. As with all soups
in Central and South America, you will need
to check if the stock is meat or vegetable based
before ordering.

Papas Chorriadas
A hearty serve of baby boiled potatoes topped
with a thick creamy cheese sauce flavoured with
tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Great on its own
or as a side dish for a more extensive meal.

Ensalada de Papas
con Chimichurri [Chimichurri Potato
Salad]
Traditionally served with meat, this versatile
sauce can also transform your vegetable dish
too. Mixed with cream or mayonnaise the cilantro,
parsley, oregano and garlic in the chimichurri
take on a more melodious and sweeter flavour
and can really add a unique zap to your pasta
sauce or zest up the common potato salad to
premium food status.

Arepa Con Queso
Found from street vendors all over Colombia,
this inch thick choclo [sweet corn]
patty grilled with a coating of cheese until
golden brown and crunchy on both sides is popular
with young and old and at anytime of the day.
Eat piping hot with a good swirl of honey on
top.

Bandeja Corrientes
Every local eatery has there version of bandeja
corrientes: translated literally as normal
tray, but meaning daily or typical
meal. Colombians love their meat and this
dish will also include plenty of it, so as a
vegetarian you will need to ask for it sin
carne [without meat] or even better sin
animal [without animal]. You could then
expect any home-style variation of arroz
[rice], patacones [deep fried platano
fritters], ensalada [salad], huevos
[eggs], queso [cheese], aquacate
[avocado], frijoles [beans] or
lentejas [lentils]. Again, you may have
to be wary that the last two legume dishes often
contain puerco [pork]; manteca
de cerdo [pork fat ] or caldo de carne
[meat stock]. It pays to check before ordering.

Frutas Exoticas
Colombia has just the right climate
and conditions to grow some of the most exotic
fruit types on this planet and not only is are
they inexpensive but easy to find at roadside
stalls and in mercados and supermarket chains.

Curuba: Also
known as the banana passionfruit or banana poker:
this fruit gets its name from its straight round-ended
banana shape. When the fruit is yellow-orange
in colour, it is ready to eat the pulp and crunchy
black seeds: very similar to other passionfruit
varieties such as the Granadillo
and Maracuyá.

Mamoncillo or Mamón:
This perfectly round drupe, similar to that
of a lychee has a tight green layer of skin
easily opened by piercing it with your teeth.
The creamy texture of the tangy white pulp inside
is attached firmly to a large centre stone.
The most effective way to remove the fruit is
to suck on the whole fruit, but be careful not
to let any juice drip on your clothes: this
was often used by indigenous tribes to dye cloth
a dark brown colour.

Anón: Known
in the west as the sugar apple, this green scaly
skinned fruit is generally shaped like a large
rounded pine cone. Inside a white to ivory coloured
flesh covers long hard shiny black-brown seeds.
The combination of a sweet smelling fragrance
with a flavour similar to custard and a soft
and gooey, but grainy texture make for a very
unique and distinct taste sensation.

Mamey Sapote:
Peach shaped with a furry skin to match, this
kiwi-coloured fruit on the outside has a vibrantly
bright orange flesh. Taste and texture cross
paths with pumpkin, mango and avocado. It is
not only eaten raw but used to enhance milkshakes
and ice creams with its creamy sweet texture.

Roscón
Arequipe O Bocadillo
You'll be as hooked on this sweet pastry as
the Colombians are, after you've tried it once.
Soft croissant-like pastry in a giant ring form
and filled with either arequipe: the
Colombian version of dulce leche [caramel
spread] or bocadillo: a sweet filling
of ripened guavas. Its available at local supermarkets
and of course the nearest panaderia [bakery].

Colombian Chocolate
No breakfast is complete without a big bowl
of home-made hot chocolate. Made from milk,
water, blocks of semi-sweet chocolate, panela
and spiced with cinnamon and sometimes cloves,
this traditional beverage is expertly prepared
using a metal pitcher for pouring at height
and a molinillo [frothing paddle].

Aguapanela con
Queso
A refreshing pick-me up drink at any time of
day, aquapanela is derived from dissolving
panela [dried sugarcane syrup] in water
and adding a bit of zest in the form of lemon
or lime juice. Native to basically all of southern
Central America and northern South America,
this beverage is consumed in copious amounts
in Colombia. For a slightly different edge,
try it served warm and with a piece of queso
[cheese] allowed to melt in the liquid.

And should you want to take
it even one step further, why not indulge in
the alcoholic version: Canelazo. Aguapanela
is spiced up with both cinnamon and a shot of
aniseed flavoured aguadiente. Presented in a
glass rimmed with sugar it is the perfect aperitif
for a bit of an afternoon kick.

Bike shops

Armenia

The
Bikehouse
and
Welcome
stores are both on Av. Bolivar; Bikehouse at no.
10N-11 Local 101 (tel: 745 0593) and Welcome at
9N-03 (tel: 746 2531). They stock the usual standard
western gear. A good alternative in Armenia is:

Our experience: very
friendly staff, good range of products (loads of
tyres) and workshop at the back (August 2009)

Cali

There are several areas in
town that have bike shops. The easiest is probably
in the north of the city, on Avenida 8N between
Calle 17 and 22. Here you will find two
B.T.T.
shops
**, one
Welcome store
** and a
Bikehouse
outlet
**.
The
B.T.T.
shop
at Av. 8N #17N-33 has probably the largest range
in stock and rents out bicycles as well.

Cartagena de Indias

Bicicletas Mountain-Bike
*
Av. Pedro de Heredia, La Castellana
just up the road from Crossmoto
Cartagena de Indias
Tel: 6531174 ask for Juan

Our experience:
shop with basic parts and friendly owner (July
2009)

Cartagena de
Indias

there are a few more bike
shops in this area, but most stock the same, basic,
products. The big bike store opposite the stadium
was closed for refurbishment when we visited...

Ibagué

The bicycle area in Ibagué
is situated near and around the intersection of
Carrera 5 and Calle 20. A few blocks full of shops.

The area around the intersection
of Carrera 52 and Calle 55 is full of bicycle
shops. Some are better than others, but shopkeepers
will generaly send you to the shop where they
think you can find your much needed parts. Isn't
that great service?!